He changed Tiwat

In fact, Han Fulai could already feel the immortal power within his body gradually recovering. Although slow, it was indeed beginning to take effect again. At least the pain in his body had been relieved considerably.

He intuitively felt that this pure energy, which lacked elemental attributes, might be related to his mental state, more like a magician's "spiritual power," which could be restored or cultivated through meditation. This would also explain why Shen He was always meditating.

He had just cleared his mind and focused on resting, and perhaps unknowingly entered a meditative state, allowing his divine power to recover.

Furthermore, judging from his previous experience using immortal power, it is clear that immortal power is influenced by his psychological factors. Whether it is making his mind more inclined towards Zhongli or using the state of "perfect and sudden cessation and contemplation" to make his thoughts clear, both have an amplifying effect on immortal power. This suggests that cultivating immortal power may very well require "cultivating the mind".

However, he genuinely lacked knowledge of the methods for cultivating immortal techniques and had never studied martial arts. Even if he stumbled upon the knack for using immortal power through various experiments, he had only grasped a portion of its application. Without systematic training and relying entirely on self-comprehension, his efficiency was ultimately considerably lower.

It's like when Han Fulai was doing math problems in China, limit problems or derivative problems usually appeared as the last questions on the math exam. It was very difficult to solve these problems using high school knowledge. But after he learned L'Hôpital's rule in college, he could solve these problems with his eyes closed!

For example, in this situation, if he knew the method of meditation, or some other way to quickly restore his immortal power, he wouldn't have to lie here doing nothing.

If Zhongli were still in Liyue Harbor, Han Fulai would definitely have gone to Zhongli to learn how to use Celestial Power before going into battle. Counting from when he received Celestial Power in the cave of the True Lord Qixia in Minghai, only four days have passed at most, and no one told him that Zhongli would suddenly give him Celestial Power, so it was impossible for him to have gone to learn how to use it in advance.

What's even more awkward is that he can't learn from immortals like Gan Yu, Shen He, or Xiao... because everyone thinks he's a peerless martial artist...

Of course, he has no one to blame but himself; it's the bitter fruit of his own past actions—so padding your resume is a no-no!

He could naturally lie here and wait for rescue. He believed that after a while, whether it was Ningguang Keqing or Ganyu, someone would notice that something was wrong with his situation and send someone to find him—the problem was that Shenhe couldn't wait.

He had clearly seen that the red rope on Shen He's body had broken.

This means that the seal binding Shen He's soul with the red rope has been lifted. Now Shen He is in danger of having his consciousness devoured by the remnants of the demon god at any time. If anything goes wrong, he may have to witness the Liyue Immortals and Shen He killing each other!

Although Ba Che has already escaped, and he believes that with Shen He's current state of releasing the remnants of the demon god, defeating Ba Che is only a matter of time, what will happen after that? Whether Shen He falls into demonic possession or the Liyue Immortals take action, neither is the ending he wants.

He had clearly considered the entire plan in great detail beforehand, and even discussed backup plans with Ningguang and Ganyu separately, but when it came to actually executing it, he himself messed up—something Han Fulai absolutely could not accept.

Regardless of which plan is followed, the second step of the "Prince's Head Offering" plan remains the same—to pave the way for the hero's victory with a series of failures!

This is an experience Han Fulai gained from history books. It is said that the famous doctor Bian Que had two older brothers, both of whom were more skilled in medicine than him. His eldest brother would prevent diseases before they even showed any signs, so people thought that Bian Que's eldest brother did not know any medicine at all; his second brother would cure diseases when they were only minor, so he could only be a village doctor; Bian Que, on the other hand, would only treat people after they had become seriously ill, and thus his reputation spread far and wide.

A common weakness in human nature is the tendency to not cherish what is easily obtained. If this victory over Ba Che came too easily, it would fail to highlight the value of the hero.

Only heroes who make a dashing entrance when others are at their wits' end will be remembered – Han Fulai wants to mold Shen He into such a hero!

Therefore, whether it is the Jade Pavilion, the Southern Cross Fleet, the Thousand Rock Army of the Lone Cloud Pavilion, or even Han Fulai himself, they all must be defeated by Ba Che to serve as stepping stones for Shen He, the great hero who saved Liyue Harbor.

Of course, without destroying the Jade Pavilion, they wouldn't have been able to defeat Ba Che anyway. But they shouldn't have appeared so incompetent; at least Bei Dou could have put up a fight against Ba Che.

Captain Hokuto of the Southern Cross fleet was already a legendary powerhouse. Hokuto's experience of obtaining the Eye of God was her slaying of the sea monster "Sea Mountain".

"Haishan" is a legendary fish-dragon, said to have "fins that transform into the dark sea and tail that touches distant mountains." It is as enormous as a nightmare and as powerful as a god, capable of creating waves tens of meters high with a single blow. Those who risk their lives at sea almost always die when they encounter Haishan. But Beidou refused to accept this fate. She fought Haishan for four days at sea, finally beheading the behemoth with a single blow—at that time, Beidou didn't even possess the Divine Eye.

Therefore, Beidou later became famous as the "Dragon Slayer".

People in the industry call the Big Dipper "Dragon King," and they even believe that the Big Dipper can suppress the giant waves and storms at sea. According to the crew members, "That's Big Dipper! Even the wildest storm has to bow down to a more powerful weather system."

Ningguang invited Beidou to assist in the battle precisely to borrow Beidou's astonishing martial prowess. Even if Beidou couldn't defeat Bache, he was capable of holding him off until Ningguang was ready to end the battle with the Qunyu Pavilion.

This was also Han Fulai's intention to defeat Beidou.

Even the mighty "Dragon King" Beidou was defeated by Ba Che's waves; Vice Minister Han of the Moonsea Pavilion, who could protect the Jade Pavilion during lightning storms, was also sent flying by Ba Che's single blow; the firepower of the Thousand Rock Army and the Jade Pavilion was practically a tickle to Ba Che, and the tsunami he unleashed was about to engulf Liyue Harbor. Just then, the hero Shen He arrived!

Chapter 108 A Timely Rain After a Long Drought

Judging from the current situation, his second step in the plan has undoubtedly been very successful. Even if Han Fulai had been fully empowered by his immortal energy and the Calamity-Suppressing Spear, and even if he were truly a peerless martial artist capable of eliminating Ba Che in one fell swoop, he would have pretended to be defeated and knocked away by Ba Che, thus creating an opportunity for Shen He to make a dazzling appearance.

This was all part of the plan; in Han Fulai's scheme, Ba Che was merely a pawn. Just as he had previously thought, when he had no cards in his hand, he could use other people's cards as his own. Regardless of what the Fools intended to do with Ba Che, he wanted to make Ba Che work for him.

One of his goals was to make Shen He a hero who protects Liyue Harbor, and that goal has been achieved.

The second objective, to provoke Shen He into breaking the seal and then use the power of the demon god's remnants for Shen He's benefit, was only half achieved.

According to his plan, his injury in the Battle of Bache was just a pretense. After that, he should immediately jump up like the Traveler and go with Shen He to fight Bache, ensuring that the entire Battle of Bache was under his control—but he didn't expect that the pretense would become real.

He's so injured he can't even get up now.

In the end, he still had to ask Gan Yu to clean up his mess... Han Fulai was filled with regret. He remembered what he had said to Gan Yu in his office two days ago in the early morning—

"I need you to promise me that no matter what happens the day after tomorrow... don't let anyone come to save me, including you."

Gan Yu remained silent for a long time before making a condition to him: "At least let me secretly help you. I can bless you with the Qilin bloodline's immortal technique 'Descending Heavenly Splendor' beforehand."

Han Fulai knew what Gan Yu was referring to; she had applied this "lock-in-health" buff to the Thousand Rock Army soldiers during the Battle of Oser. In the game, Gan Yu is a main DPS character with explosive damage, but in the historical Demon God War, she primarily served as a support. When she uses her ice elemental burst skill "Descent of Heavenly Blossoms" directly, it's an area-of-effect damage skill; however, when used with magic, it's actually a group healing buff.

During the Battle of Osael, Han Fulai coveted Gan Yu's buff and even secretly asked Gan Yu if he could share some of his immortal power. With Gan Yu's "lock-in" ability, he felt he could take on Gan Yu himself.

But that day he firmly refused Gan Yu, and gave a very good reason: "This matter cannot involve any immortals, including you, Gan Yu."

This was necessary to persuade Ningguang to cooperate. Moreover, since Ganyu had used "Heavenly Splendor of Subduing the Masses" on the Thousand Rock Army soldiers at the Jade Pavilion last time, many people, including Ningguang, could see the traces of "Heavenly Splendor of Subduing the Masses." He couldn't agree to let Ningguang not allow immortals to participate, and then turn around and ask Ganyu to give him an immortal buff.

Gan Yu did not insist at the time, but gave him a backup option: "If you really need my help at that time, just notify me in the name of the contract."

The contract between Han Fulai and Gan Yu was forged with divine power under the witness of the Rock King Emperor. According to Gan Yu, as the two parties to the contract, as long as they stimulate the mark of the contract with divine power, the other party will sense it.

In Han Fulai's view, this contract mark is equivalent to the "pager" that was popular in China in the last century. Although it cannot make calls, it can let people know that someone is looking for you. As long as the rules of use are agreed upon, such as one call means "come home for dinner" and two calls means "buy groceries on the way", it can still serve the purpose of communication.

Gan Yu had never mentioned this before, obviously because she didn't want Han Fulai to feel that he was bound by the contract and could lose his freedom at any time. Although she was occasionally confused, Gan Yu was quite considerate of others most of the time.

Han Fulai understood Gan Yu's concern. He hadn't planned to ask Gan Yu for help beforehand, and he also wanted to prove himself—as a subordinate, he should share his superior's burdens, not cause them trouble. This was also a matter of Han Fulai's pride; as a man, he wouldn't accept a free meal even if it was offered to him.

However, we have no choice but to ask Gan Yu for help now, since the situation under the sea could change at any time.

Fortunately, his immortal power has recovered a bit now, otherwise he would not have been able to use his immortal power to stimulate the contract mark when he was on the verge of death.

Han Fulai silently recited the words he had spoken when he made the contract with Gan Yu, guiding the drops of immortal power within his body to his right hand, and a golden three-leaf knot lit up on the back of his right hand.

At the same time, a three-leaf knot mark also appeared on the back of Gan Yu's right hand.

With her back to Ke Qing and the soldiers of the Thousand Rock Army, Gan Yu clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and a small, crystal-like sphere appeared in her palms. As she closed her hands, the small sphere disappeared into her palms.

This is Gan Yu's secret technique, "Descent of Heavenly Splendor." With Gan Yu's control over immortal power, she can not only exert influence over a wide area, but also, within a certain distance, she can even choose to cast the skill on an individual. The immortal power contract between her and Han Fulai is like a telephone line, helping her locate Han Fulai's position and transmit immortal power.

A small ice crystal sphere appeared in front of Han Fulai from the void, spun a few times, and settled into his brow.

Han Fulai's exhausted body was like parched earth suddenly receiving sweet rain, thirstily drinking in the sweet dew. Almost in the blink of an eye, the discomfort in his breathing completely disappeared, and even the pain from his broken ribs was no longer noticeable.

Han Fulai scrambled to his feet, feeling full of energy and boundless strength.

No wonder the Thousand Rock Army soldiers roared and charged at the Fools' vanguard at the Jade Pavilion. Gan Yu's buff was just too powerful. It would be a waste not to fight with such a good buff.

The only downside was that after being buffed by Gan Yu, he started emitting a green glow... Fortunately, this reef was relatively remote, and Qunyu Pavilion and Guyun Pavilion were far apart, so no one could see his appearance clearly. Afterwards, no one should know that Gan Yu had intervened in the battle.

Han Fulai bowed in gratitude towards the direction of Guyun Pavilion. Although he was far away and could not see Gan Yu, he believed that Gan Yu could see him.

Gan Yu smiled and nodded slightly in Han Fulai's direction.

Han Fulai ran a few steps, picked up the Eye of God left by Shen He from the ice, and then glanced at the Jade Pavilion in the sky.

According to the plan, Ningguang should also begin her publicity campaign.

Han Fulai said he would give Ningguang a fleet. Whether Ningguang can happily acquire a Liyue fleet depends on her own efforts.

Without further delay, Han Fulai leaped into the whirlpool. Soon, his figure was also swallowed up by the whirlpool.

Chapter 109 Fear of Insufficient Firepower

The atmosphere at Qunyu Pavilion was equally jubilant.

Seeing the arrogant and domineering figure fleeing, a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal instantly filled the entire Qunyu Pavilion.

Many people were overcome with emotion, laughing and crying, and some even picked up the wine jugs on the table and gulped down the wine, as if trying to forget everything they had experienced that day.

Ningguang slowly walked onto the stage amidst the chaotic atmosphere and clapped twice. Under the effect of the magic circle, the sound of her clapping brought many people back to their senses, drawing their attention to her.

Ningguang coughed lightly and said, "I apologize for startling you all. However, everything is under control. As you have all seen, the 'residual power of the vortex' has been repelled."

An elderly wealthy merchant in the audience complained after hearing Ningguang's words: "Since you, Lord Ningguang, were prepared in advance, why didn't you inform us beforehand? I feel like I've lost a few years of my life."

Ningguang smiled and replied, "I also do not know when this Ba Che will attack. I invited you all here because I wanted you to see this Ba Che with your own eyes. If I had told you in advance that this Ba Che would not have appeared, wouldn't that have been disappointing? Rest assured, even if there is a chance, I will protect you all."

The old man, recalling the jade shield that had risen from the Jade Pavilion earlier, fell silent.

Someone else asked, "Lord Ningguang, was that white-haired woman who just defeated Ba Che the legendary White-Haired Fairy?"

Ningguang shook her head.

"That white-haired woman is not an immortal. She is human, named Shen He, and is the secretary assistant to Vice Minister Han. It is fortunate for Ningguang and Liyue to have these two talents in Moonsea Pavilion... no, it should be said that Liyue is fortunate to have these two heroes."

Many people, recalling Shen He wearing the Moonsea Pavilion uniform, nodded in agreement, praising Han Fulai for his bravery and fearlessness, Shen He for his exceptional skills, and the abundance of talent in Liyue.

Ningguang changed the subject, saying, "Now that we have defeated Bache, you can all enjoy yourselves to the fullest—but before we resume the feast, please allow me to say a few words."

She paused, seemingly trying to process her feelings.

"To be honest, I've been suffering from a strange illness that keeps me awake at night and fills me with constant anxiety..."

“Ah! Shouldn’t Lady Ningguang invite a renowned physician? I know that Mr. Bai of Bubulu has superb medical skills; perhaps we should ask him to treat her,” someone immediately said with concern.

Ningguang shook her head. "This illness is incurable by medicine; it is a mental illness."

"...A mental illness?" The crowd below couldn't help but ask curiously.

“I am worried. I am worried that we have been protected by the Rock King for too long and have lost the ability to protect ourselves.” Ningguang’s face was serious, and her words were firm and powerful.

"Imagine, everyone, if the Barchak suddenly attacks, unleashing a tsunami that crashes into Liyue Harbor, even if you weren't here in the Jade Pavilion, but were in your homes in Liyue Harbor—tell me, what are your chances of survival? And even if you do survive, how much damage will you suffer?"

“This…” Some people had already vaguely understood Ningguang’s meaning and lowered their heads in thought.

Ningguang continued, "To repel Báchá, we mobilized the Jade Pavilion, the Southern Cross Fleet, the Thousand Rock Army, and even Liyue Harbor's strongest firepower—the Resurrected Machine. I ask you all, can we defeat Báchá with these forces? If Vice Minister Han and Miss Shenhe hadn't been in the Jade Pavilion just now, what would the outcome have been?"

The crowd fell silent. Those who received Ningguang's invitation were all prominent figures in Liyue Harbor; they were not naive newcomers.

No one truly wants to entrust their fate to a hero, just as no one truly wants to entrust the success or failure of a business to the credit of a partner.

Liyue is a nation of contracts—but why does Liyue need contracts? Because without contracts, the success of a business can only rely on the "credit" of others. Merchants value credit above all else, and they understand that credit is important because it is rare. Scarcity increases value; if everyone truly valued trust and kept their promises, there would be no need for contracts to bind them.

Even with a contract, there will be people who exploit loopholes in it, so the situation would only be worse without a contract.

Not everyone has credit, and heroes don't always appear in time.

More importantly, in Ningguang's few words, the wealthy families and merchants in Qunyu Pavilion suddenly realized something, something that was originally a self-evident truth, an eternal truth—peace is not eternal!

Their current lives are built upon the 3,700-year rule of the Geo Archon. When the Archon was alive, they only needed to follow his instructions at the annual summoning ceremony to live a carefree life. But now the Archon is gone; their protector, their guide, is no longer here! How long can Liyue's current peace last?

The Emperor has just passed away, and Liyue Harbor has been attacked by the Demon God Oser. A month later, Oser's wife, Báchá, has arrived... What's next? Which Demon God will appear? Which monster will come?

And what if none of this is a coincidence...?

Someone in the audience had already noticed the problem and asked in a trembling voice, "Lord Ning... Lady Ningguang, could it be that the seal of Guyun Pavilion...?"

Ningguang sighed deeply.

"As everyone knows, Liyue was the region with the most Teyvat demons during the Demon Wars. To this day, various demon remnants remain on the land of Liyue, known as 'karmic remnants.' There are at least dozens of demons sealed on the land of Liyue, just those we know of. When the Emperor was alive, the seal was naturally impregnable, but now the Emperor has passed away... That's why I've developed a heart ailment—a heart ailment called 'fear of insufficient firepower'!"

The term "fear of insufficient firepower" was, of course, used by Han Fulai to describe Ningguang.

This is the third objective that Han Fulai wanted to achieve through the Battle of Ba Che, and it is also the most important thing for Liyue—the "Demon God Threat Theory"!

Talking to the people of Liyue about wars between nations, or the Winterborn's conspiracies and threats, is meaningless to them, because there haven't been any wars between nations on the continent of Teyvat for many, many years. But if you talk to them about the Demon God Wars, every Liyue person can tell you several stories of the Geo Archon's battles against the Demon Gods, since Liyue is full of sealed Demon Gods and the ruins of their wars.

Just a month ago, the people of Liyue Harbor had witnessed the Seven Stars and the Immortals joining forces to fight against the Demon God Oser, a memory many of them still vividly remembered. Now, they were witnessing the arrival of the Barchak, the tsunami that seemed poised to engulf Liyue Harbor deeply etched into everyone's minds.

The people of Liyue have grown accustomed to living in harmony with the gods. Even after the passing of the Geo Archon, they were momentarily lost and disoriented, but they continued to live their lives as usual. After all, for these people, making a living is always the most important thing. But what if someone told them that they couldn't go on living like this anymore?

The thought of Liyue returning to the era of demons and gods was enough to make everyone present restless.

Seeing that the time was right, Ningguang coughed lightly and said loudly, "You all don't want to go through what happened today every now and then, do you? Liyue is clearly the best in Teyvat when it comes to mining and smelting. It has a long-established forging family, the famous Blackrock Fortress, and the largest shipyard on the Teyvat continent! If there were a fleet that could suppress Bacha at sea, and if the Thousand Rock Army were better equipped and stronger, you wouldn't have suffered the fright you just experienced."

“So…” Ningguang looked around at the wealthy merchants present, “I would like to ask for your help to cure this ‘fear of insufficient firepower’.”

Chapter 110 The Theory of the Demon God Threat: A Wealthy Nation Needs a Strong Military

Han Fulai's "Demonic Threat Theory" plan, devised in response to the Bazha attack, was the most suitable and feasible plan he could think of for Liyue's current situation. His intention was simple: to strengthen the Thousand Rock Army!

If the "Mora-Liyue Currency" system established by Han Fulai was a way to "enrich the country," then what he wanted to achieve in the Battle of Bacha was to "strengthen the army"!

A prosperous nation and a strong military are always linked. A wealthy country without a powerful army to protect it is like a child carrying gold in a bustling city, clearly saying "Come and rob me!"

The Fatui's recent actions in Liyue have taught Han Fulai a time-tested truth: "If you fall behind, you will be bullied!"

Liyue possesses the richest mineral resources in Teyvat, the largest trading port, and the only mint in the continent, giving it unparalleled advantages. Even if it doesn't seek dominance, it shouldn't be bullied like this by the Fatui.

And what happened? The Geo Archon had just retired when the Fatui stormed the Golden House, attacked the Jade Pavilion, and blew up the General Affairs Office—it was as if they were rubbing the face of the Liyue Seven Stars into the ground repeatedly, which can be called the three great humiliations of Liyue.

What could the Seven Stars of Liyue do? They could only issue a strong statement condemning the attack, expel a few diplomats, maintain domestic stability, and swallow their pride in the face of external humiliation. Moreover, Han Fulai was a witness to all of this; many related documents were handled by him and Gan Yu at Moonsea Pavilion. As the Permanent Deputy Minister of Moonsea Pavilion and a senior civil servant in the Seven Stars government, Han Fulai felt this humiliation deeply.

The reason for this was that the Thousand Rock Army could not withstand the elite forces of the Fools for seventy-two hours. According to what Han Fulai heard in China, "The Fools are full of martial spirit, while the Thousand Rock Army is weak and helpless."

Circumstances are beyond our control.

While Ningguang's Jade Pavilion deterrence plan may temporarily intimidate the enemy, it only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause. The fundamental solution remains "national prosperity and military strength"!

The day before yesterday afternoon, when Han Fulai discussed the specific plan with Ningguang, this is what he said to Ningguang:

"I've heard of a country in history that was very commercially developed, much like Liyue. This country adhered to the concept of peaceful development, focusing wholeheartedly on development and construction. It didn't want to care about anything except making a little money, and it seemed unwilling to build up its army. So, in order to raise military funds, the army of this country would often use various tricks to complain about being poor when higher-ups came to inspect the army."